Crucial New York State Jobs Report Is 70 Days Late; Many Fear Bad News

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A report card on New York state's progress in attracting new jobs is now more than two months overdue.

As CBS2's Tony Aiello reported, critics fear that no news means bad news.

It is an annual report card to the people of New York – an update to the number of jobs created through the heavily-promoted START-UP NY program.

START-UP NY provides dozens of tax-free zones where businesses pay no taxes for ten years. The Empire Center for Public Policy has been keeping track on social media – the START-UP NY jobs report is now 70 days late.

"The deadline was April 1, so they might be afraid that the results were a joke," said Ken Girardin of the Empire Center.

Girardin said after the millions spent on TV ads, New Yorkers deserve a timely update.

"I think if the numbers were anything better than abysmal, we would have heard them by now," he said.

Former state Assemblyman Richard Brodsky agrees. But he says the issue with START-UP NY goes beyond a tardy annual report.

"The report will come out when it comes out," Brodsky said. "The problem that they're really having is that there's a growing awareness that these sorts of giveaways do not create jobs and employment; that they have not worked to do the very thing that they're set up to do."

The view is shared by many critics, who point out that START-UP NY created just 76 jobs in its first full year.

"If the program is falling short, the state needs to go back to the drawing board and question everything about what it's been doing with economic development," Girardin said.

CBS2 asked the Cuomo administration what was up with the delay. A spokesman would only say the report is being finalized and will be released - soon.

Earlier this year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office predicted START-UP NY would create more than 4,000 jobs by 2020.